Tie rod boot



April 16, 1940'. F GARDNER 2,197,037

' TIE ROD BOOT Filed llay 17, 1937 m-niiiiiiiiih [ZZZ/67W dds/*2 I Gardner? v Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES TIE non BOOT Allen F. Gardner, Detroit, Mich., assignorto Chicago Rawhide Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 3 Application Mayi'z, 1937, Serial b. 143,094

Claims. I (01. 287-40) with respect to the head. A tie rod is in- I The purpose of this-invention is toprovide a flexible closure boot for the ball-and-socket joint at the end of the tie rod in the steering gear of an automobile, which boot will retain the grease used a in'lubricating the joint, will prevent the entrance of dirt, mud and water from the road, and will conform without resistance to the turning and tilting movements which are constantly occurring between the parts of the joint, all without interfering in any way with such movements, and

without becoming ineffective as a result thereof.

The new boot is light and compact, is inexpen sive to manufacture and easy to apply, and when placed in position will remain there without be- '1 coming dislodged.

This boot has filled a long felt want in the automotive industry, where engineers have striven for years without success to work out a practical form of closure for a tie rod end joint.

) While the boot is particularly applicable to a tie rod end joint it can of course be used to enclose other kinds of joints.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be evident to those skilled in Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of the joint and boot; i Fig. 3 is a diametric section through the boot,

before being applied to the joint;

Fig. 4 is a partially sectioned side view, showing a modification of the boot;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing another modii fication of the boot; and

Figs. 6 and 7. are similar views, showing still other modifications. The construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 will first be described. The ball-and-socket joint I shown in these views includes a hollow head l0 which is provided with a socket I l and a tapered stud l2 which is provided with a ball IS. The ball I3 is retained in the socket H by means of a plug it. The stud I2 projects upwardly from teriorly threaded at one end and is screwed over a threaded stem IS on the head, and a-steering arm I1 is aperturedat one end and is wedged down over the stud l2 by means of a nut l8 on the threaded upper end of the stud.

The closure boot for this ball-and-socket joint includes a formed leather jacket l9 which is preferably made in one piece. The jacket 19 is provided with a small opening at its upper end 20 and a large opening at its lower end 2|, with a connecting wall portion which is bulgedout in all directions between 'the'ends, which bulged out down over the tapered stud I2 into pressed-fit engagement with the same at a point a short distance above the upper surface of the head I0. I

The lower ring 24 is similarly adapted to be forced down over a machined portion 25 of the head I 0 into pressed-fit engagement with such portion. r

The ring .23 is made in two interfitting sections, 26 and 21', on the order of a grommet. The section 26 is characterized by a top flange 28 and-a downwardly extending tubular neck 29, while the section 21 is characterized by a bottom flange and ,an upwardly extending tubular neck 3|. These sections are sleeved together as far as the neck 3| will permit, with the edge of the neck 29 spun outwardly against the bottom flange 30 to secure the sections together. The constricted .upper end 20 of the jacket [9 fits snugly 'but 'rotatably between the top and bottom flanges 28 and 30 of the ring.

The ring 24 is made in one piece and is characterized by a tubular neck 32 and a bottom flange 33. The outer edge of the bottom flange 33 is reversely bent, and the lower end 2| of the jacket I9 is clamped immovably between the flange 33 and the reversely bent outer edge thereof.

With this construction, the relatively movable parts of the ball-and-socket joint are completely protected, and no appreciable resistance is offered to any movement of the parts. The boot can be applied easily to the joint'without re quiring the use of any special tools. '1

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the leather jacket 34 is made up from two centrally apertured fiat disks 35 and36,which disks are sewed together about their peripheries; The upper mounting ring 31 is hollowed out adjacent its center to provide a space about the inner margin of the disk 35, and a small metal ring 38 is positioned in the hollowed out portion in tightly gripped engagement with the inner margin of the disk 35. This ring 38 turns with the disk 35 and prevents the inner margin of the latter from being pulled out from between the opposed outer portions 39 of the ring 31, which outer portions slidably engage thedisk 35 in sealed association with the same.

The lower mounting ring 40 is clamped down against the top of the head 4| upon an interposed sealing gasket 42 of any suitable material and is held tightly against the gasket by having its lower edge 43 spun into an annular groove 44 cut in the periphery of the head. I

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 a formed one-piece leather jacket 45 is employed and the upper inturned end 46 of the jacket is provided In the modification shown in Fig. 6 a jacket 53 of some moulded rubber-like material is employed. The upper end 54 of this jacket is formed into a downwardly opening channel which tends toclose upon itself under its own resiliency, and an upstanding metal flange 55 on a sheet metal mounting ring 56 is slidably positioned within this channel. The ring 56 is provided with an outturned flange 51 which overlies the upper end 54 of the jacket and prevents the latter from becoming disassociated from the flange 55 on the ring.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 another moulded jacket construction is shown. In this form the upper end 58 of the jacket is moulded to slidingly embrace a radial flange 59 on a metal mounting ring 60.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a closure boot for application to relatively rotatable parts of a joint, as a. complete permanently assembled and self-contained unit, consisting of a tubular jacket of flexible material, and metal rings permanently mounted on the ends of the jacket in axially separated planes for sealed engagement with.

relatively rotatable parts of the joint, one of saidrings slidably embracing one end of the jacket for rotation with respect to the same.

2. As an article of manufacture, a closure boot for application to relatively rotatable parts of asealed association withthe same, and means for attaching the other end of the jacket to another relatively rotatable and tiltable'part of the joint in sealed association with the same, said last mentioned means being permanently connected to the jacket as an integral part of the boot and consisting of a two-part sheet metal grommet which is rotatably mounted on the" jacket with' its spaced sides in loosely embracing relation to the edge of the latter for pressed-fit engagement with the part of the joint-to which attached.

3- As. an article of manufacture, a closure boot for application to relatively rotatable parts of a joint, as a complete permanently assembled and self-contained unit, consisting of a tubular jacket of flexible material which is made in one piece with a small opening at its upper end and a large opening at its lower end and a connecting wall which is bulged out in all directions between such ends, which bulged out portion permits of endwise extension and contraction of the jacket as well as sidewise bending of the same, and metal rings secured to the upper and lower ends of the jacket for sealed engagement with relatively movable parts of the joint, one of said rings being fixedly clamped to the jacket, and the other of said rings being loosely clamped to the jacket to permit relative rotation therebetween.

' 4. As an article of manufacture, a closure boot for application to relatively rotatable parts of a joint, as a complete permanently assembled and self-contained unit, consisting of a tubular jacket of flexible material provided at one end with a circular inturned rim, and means for attaching the ends of the jacket to relatively movable'parts of a joint, the attaching means at one end consisting of a metal ring which is adapted to be press fitted to its particular part of the joint and contains an outwardly opening circular'channel in which the circular inturned rim of the jacket is snugly but rotatably retained. Y

5. In a universal joint, a cylindrical stud member, means disposed around said stud member defining an annular groove, and a flexible seal member having an end portion thereof slidably V 

